News for today's 2018

Back in the homeschool classroom: Grown son's first house

7:06 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbaOY5gze7LqBd5pDiAjc5xYhu_mLZoyWT3tTknRMnn58TJNY32Kfnlon8Paox6t6mJ_HO9UN7z-O_mEEnRdCWkhMNpl1z7mN_iNrfWNINzKgG9t2X39t6g90sjtL1cNYfDWxHsBuqflP/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbaOY5gze7LqBd5pDiAjc5xYhu_mLZoyWT3tTknRMnn58TJNY32Kfnlon8Paox6t6mJ_HO9UN7z-O_mEEnRdCWkhMNpl1z7mN_iNrfWNINzKgG9t2X39t6g90sjtL1cNYfDWxHsBuqflP/s400/25.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Unpacking and organizing in the new kitchen.</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We're proud of our son. At the age of 29, he has become a home owner, purchasing (on his own with no help from us) his first house -- a three bedroom, two bath with one car garage and pool with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. <br /><br />It's a path he has been on since graduating from homeschool high school. Educated at home in grades 2-12, he attended nearby Blue Ridge Community College and then transferred to James Madison University's computer school to complete his degree. He secured a job in Harrisonburg and moved into an apartment with friends, paid off his student loan within a year, then saved and finally bought a new car after driving an old one since the age of 16. With the car paid off, he turned his attention to home ownership. <br /><br />This year, that became a reality. His friends, sister, brother-in-law, aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandparents have visited. We gathered as a family at his house and celebrated.<br /><br />The foundation laid during his youth has paid off with his fiscal responsibility and determined path in life. His dad and I are proud. He now has a nest of his own.<br /><br />---<br /><i>Lynn Mitchell educated her children at home for 16 years and was part  of leadership in North Carolina's Iredell County Home Educators (ICHE)  and Virginia's Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH). Her  son graduated from Harrisonburg's James Madison University (JMU) in  2007 with a BS in Computer Science and a minor in Creative  Writing. Her daughter graduated from Staunton's Mary Baldwin College in  2012 with a BS in Sustainable Business and Marketing. Lynn and her  husband live in Augusta County located in the beautiful Shenandoah  Valley of Virginia. The story of how she began her homeschool journey <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/01/back-in-homeschool-classroom-blazing.html">can be found here</a>.</i> <br /><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />June 2013

Back in the homeschool classroom: Grown son's first house

Unpacking and organizing in the new kitchen. We're proud of our son. At the age of 29, he has become a home owner, purchasing (on his...

Va Dems circle wagons ... Va Republicans join in circular firing squad

1:05 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzu6mx_OP-aLZIZi7Ucyom47Zw-LDmp_2YgIElcYCyPc7Si7jGyYwuPbY7epVwA-z9Tck9k2KUuUMK8rKhVVm-qDU8QqbblpuxnMQ5A1Do1fszC1tXWH4sf5Hcd_GEmnWM5fXj2bOqxOT/s1600/2009+McD,+Bolling,+Cooch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYzu6mx_OP-aLZIZi7Ucyom47Zw-LDmp_2YgIElcYCyPc7Si7jGyYwuPbY7epVwA-z9Tck9k2KUuUMK8rKhVVm-qDU8QqbblpuxnMQ5A1Do1fszC1tXWH4sf5Hcd_GEmnWM5fXj2bOqxOT/s400/2009+McD,+Bolling,+Cooch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Attacking Republicans seems to be the sport of the day, not only by Democrats, but also within the Republican Party. Recently, Marco Rubio and Chris Christie were attacked by the right wing of the GOP for not being conservative enough on their policies about immigration and other issues. Now add Bob McDonnell to that list.<br /><br />Conservative bloggers like <a href="http://bearingdrift.com/2013/07/10/on-conservativsm-vs-access/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bearingdrift+%28Bearing+Drift%29" target="_blank">Willie Deutsch at Bearing Drift</a> have joined with Democratic bloggers in the mindless act of becoming participants in attacking the Virginia Republican Governor. What should be more disconcerting is the effect this circular firing squad will have on GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli who has also been <a href="http://www.c-ville.com/cuccinelli-mcdonnell-and-the-star-scientific-scandal-that-just-keeps-growing/#.Ud68GW2kNRw" target="_blank">caught up in the controversy with his own issue of unreported gifts</a> from Star Scientific and Jonnie Williams. When the far right is done with Bob McDonnell, will they then turn their guns on Cuccinelli?<br /><br />In the words of <i>Richmond Times-Dispatch</i> political writer <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/jeff-schapiro/schapiro-even-mcdonnell-s-friends-bracing-for-the-worst/article_245b13e4-371b-54cc-ab69-08165cdc980b.html">Jeff Schapiro</a>, "... all Democrats have to do is watch a great Republican tradition: cannibalism."<br /><br />The hemorrhaging needs to stop.<br /><br />Interestingly enough, in the shadows away from this controversy stands Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. The far right had its fair share of attacking him earlier this year by calling him a RINO and questioning his conservative credentials. In hindsight, perhaps Bolling did the wisest thing by stepping aside in this toxic environment. Meanwhile, as Jim Hoeft  <a href="http://vapolitics.us/2013/07/bollings-office-says-business-as-usual/" target="_blank">reported,</a> it's business as usual in the LG's office as he goes about the job of working for the people of Virginia.<br /><br />The LG is also on the minds of the editorial board at Charlottesville's <a href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/opinion/editorials/bolling-in-shadows-as-mcdonnell-s-star-plunges/article_8311a3ea-e9c3-11e2-833f-0019bb30f31a.html" target="_blank"><i>Daily Progress</i></a>, wondering <i>what if</i> concerning Bolling's aborted campaign for Governor. Noting the issues surrounding the Governor, the <a href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/opinion/editorials/bolling-in-shadows-as-mcdonnell-s-star-plunges/article_8311a3ea-e9c3-11e2-833f-0019bb30f31a.html" target="_blank">Daily Progress</a> wrote:<br /><blockquote>“Much of this has occurred on center stage during a summer that was supposed to have belonged to Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a better man who stands in the shadows, cast there by a party that failed him and failed Virginia.<br /><br />Undercut by state GOP leaders whose political IQ’s can only be measured in minuses, Bolling was thrown to the side by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a man with more baggage than Samsonite.<br /><br />Rather than hold a primary to allow voters to select the next Republican candidate for governor, party string-pullers conducted the rough equivalent of a meeting in a smoke-filled room, holding a convention to hand Cuccinelli the nomination.  <br /><br />Bolling could have taken his shot in 2009 — surely, he wishes now that he had — but he agreed to stand aside to unify the party, paving the path to McDonnell’s sweeping victory. The idea was that Bolling would wait his turn until 2013.<br /><br />Then along came Cuccinelli. One wonders how strongly the capital’s most powerful Republican stood for the friend who helped him win election. There are apparent prices to be paid for McDonnell’s friendship. Williams is Exhibit A, evidently.<br /><br />That has stirred rumblings about McDonnell’s possible early departure from Richmond. A conservative blogger claimed over the weekend that two sources told him the governor was preparing to resign in a plea deal to avoid ethics charges. McDonnell’s staff quickly denied the rumor.<br /><br />It’s a sign of how deep the governor is in his own mess. Were he to be forced out, moving Bolling into the mansion, Virginia would be served in the interim by a leader superior to the alternatives being offered up for the fall. Perhaps Bolling might gain fuel enough for a write-in run.<br /><br />That might be a dream, but it is far pleasanter than the nightmare now being lived out in the state’s highest office.</blockquote>What the far right's circular firing squad is doing is driving people like Laura Lennox of Richmond to<a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/your-opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article_2d1648dc-9440-5bf3-968b-678c444fd32a.html" target="_blank"> consider a write-in vote for Bill Bolling</a> while others have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Write-in-Bill-Bolling-for-Virginia-Governor-2013/599114856787021?hc_location=timeline" target="_blank">taken to Facebook.</a><br /><br />The loser in all this is the Republican Party, both statewide and nationally. Maybe we all need to reconsider the 11th commandment often quoted by Ronald Reagan: Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.

Va Dems circle wagons ... Va Republicans join in circular firing squad

Bill Bolling Bob McDonnell Chris Christie Daily Progress facebook Jim Hoeft Lynn R. Mitchell Marco Rubio Virginia Politics On Demand write-in campaign Va Dems circle wagons ... Va Republicans join in circular firing squad

Attacking Republicans seems to be the sport of the day, not only by Democrats, but also within the Republican Party. Recently, Marco Rubio a...

LTE: 'Abortion should never have been politicized'

7:57 PM Tukiyooo 0

<i>On July 2, 2013, my step-dad Calvin T. Lucy was the CORRESPONDENT OF THE DAY for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/correspondent-of-the-day-for-july/article_0491be42-4f22-5ccc-a7cb-73c3a2f84e5b.html">Abortion ... does it need to be politicized?</a></i><br /><br />Editor, Times-Dispatch:<br /><br />Recently, on your Editorial and Op/Ed pages, two writers came to  essentially the same conclusion concerning the belief that the abortion  issue can never be resolved politically. In a letter, Read F. Goode Jr.  stated, “The sheer fact abortion has remained a front page, red-hot  issue every single day since its legalization is de facto evidence that  some issues cannot reach a national consensus.” On the Op/Ed page,  Robert Sarvis was quoted on several issues, including abortion. He  stated: “The absolutism on the (abortion) issue is ruining our political  discourse. I think most voters would like some relief from the  demonization and over-the-top rhetoric coming from both sides.”<br /><br />The desired relief has been staring thinking  voters in the face for several years. The politicization of abortion has  been one of the most terrible political errors in recent history; in  that it will never be resolvable on the national, state and local levels  simply because it is a highly personal issue resolvable one case at a  time only by collaboration between a woman, her spouse, her pastor and  her doctor.<br /><br />The conclusion and relief is that wise  Republicans will immediately take steps to remove all aspects of  abortion from political platforms, stating that it should never have  been politicized in the first place, regardless of how rosy and  vote-rich it appeared to be. Wise people will recall the Serenity  Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,  the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the  difference.” That wisdom has been in short supply for decades.<br /><br />Calvin T. Lucy. <br />Midlothian.

LTE: 'Abortion should never have been politicized'

abortion Calvin T. Lucy Correspondent of the Day editorial Lynn R. Mitchell Midlothian Richmond Times-Dispatch LTE: 'Abortion should never have been politicized'

On July 2, 2013, my step-dad Calvin T. Lucy was the CORRESPONDENT OF THE DAY for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Abortion ... does it need to b...

Arizona wildfire tragedy claims 19 firefighters

8:36 PM Tukiyooo 0

In what may be the largest loss in Hotshot history, <a href="http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/22726613/2013/06/30/yarnell-hill-wildfire-grows-to-almost-1000-acres">tragedy</a> struck Sunday night as officials confirmed that 19 Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters were killed while battling the Yarnell Hill wildfire that has consumed over 1,000 acres.<br /><br />The news brings to light the heartbreaking reality of fighting dangerous western wildfires. <br /><br />The local <a href="http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/22726613/2013/06/30/yarnell-hill-wildfire-grows-to-almost-1000-acres">Fox affiliate</a> reported more about the fire:<br /><blockquote>The wildfire was likely caused by a lightning strike Saturday night.<br /><br />The Yarnell Hill fire, about 35 miles southwest of Prescott, has burned about 1,300 acres and forced the evacuation of 50 homes.<br /><br />The fire started Friday and has not yet burned down any structures, but Sunday night firefighters pushed the blaze back away from communities, hoping to keep the blaze from overtaking any homes.</blockquote><a href="https://plus.google.com/111766091747410833625/posts/6ahoQeeVmNr">Reports</a> are that a flashover killed all 19 even though they deployed their <a href="http://forestry.about.com/od/forestfire/tp/fire_shelter.htm">fire shelters</a>.<br /><br />It is reminiscent of the July 2, 1994, <a href="http://forestry.about.com/od/forestfire/ss/s_canyon_fire.htm">wildfire on Storm King Mountain </a>near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, also known as the South Canyon fire, when 14 Hotshots were killed. It, too, was started by a lightning strike. Firefighters were trapped when winds shifted in the extremely rugged terrain.<br /><br />More details about the breaking Arizona fire from <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/30/fire-in-arizona-prompts-evacuation-of-120-homes/2477469/?csp=fbfanpage">USA Today</a>. Prayers for the families and friends of those who were lost.

Arizona wildfire tragedy claims 19 firefighters

Arizona firefighters Fox News Hotshots Lynn R. Mitchell Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots USA Today Yarnell Hill Arizona wildfire tragedy claims 19 firefighters

In what may be the largest loss in Hotshot history, tragedy struck Sunday night as officials confirmed that 19 Prescott Granite Mountain Ho...

Saturday morning on the porch....

5:39 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXgdc6jMdfvJMX1Bsyt-fGHlfcP3LIpFsDc2oKuJXgZ5Q3zUZ99L2ke8GmEUq8LW93GToFNz18_lXNV5q51OiwI9ftawpv0RhKsmJD7ppqd0JS7I1pLk7CdVBQHF5SqrlY6bQFMTqHkFT/s800/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXgdc6jMdfvJMX1Bsyt-fGHlfcP3LIpFsDc2oKuJXgZ5Q3zUZ99L2ke8GmEUq8LW93GToFNz18_lXNV5q51OiwI9ftawpv0RhKsmJD7ppqd0JS7I1pLk7CdVBQHF5SqrlY6bQFMTqHkFT/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Wow, what a gorgeous morning in the Shenandoah Valley ... a sweater morning! The sky is blue, the sun is out, temps are in the 60s, low humidity, and there's a stiff breeze with a cool edge to it that requires a sweater to ward off the shady chill. I can't help but think how nice it must be up on the mountain for those camping this weekend in Shenandoah National Park. <br /><br />We've had lots of rain this spring and into summer so the grass is green and lush, unlike some years when it's dried up and crispy by the July 4th holiday. The shade trees in our little oasis are blowing in the breeze, their leaves rustling and making dancing shadows on the yard. <br /><br />I just heard a sound in the gutter overhead so watched to see who was intruding on my quiet, and then a bright red cardinal flew from the roof to a nearby tree. He must have found a bug for his breakfast. Rabbits are munching on the smorgasbord that is our front yard ... nibble, hop, nibble, hop hop.  The birds are loud as they are every morning with their various chirps and calls to one another. The mournful sound of a dove can be heard in the distance.<br /><br />The bright orange daylilies are blooming as are the cheerful yellow coreopsis moonlight, and bright red roses. My potted annuals got a late start this year since I was about three weeks behind in planting them but they are catching up -- petunias, zinnias, impatiens, geraniums, heather, and other colorful additions on the porches and in the back yard around the outdoor tables. Flowers can be time-intensive but the reward of those overflowing blossoms that add splashes of color as well as fragrance in the air is well worth the effort.<br /><br />The wind, the leaves, the birds ... those are the only sounds this morning. It's going to be a great day....<br /><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell

Augusta County flowers Lynn R. Mitchell Shenandoah Valley Virginia Saturday morning on the porch....

Wow, what a gorgeous morning in the Shenandoah Valley ... a sweater morning! The sky is blue, the sun is out, temps are in the 60s, low humi...

Back in the homeschool classroom: A chance encounter

4:23 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7q6CIQ5fuSDXBghlyaLneba7meMy6D-GS0nDYvkjWo9f86vG00gYZk3XjnRrp5_MG0jVBPJunGxIov9BhcRa6SbBX778qyvtPVmgGmPABR0aeqc1lLBYpNG6DD-6Zd8IpCM3krHJ3X5c/s800/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7q6CIQ5fuSDXBghlyaLneba7meMy6D-GS0nDYvkjWo9f86vG00gYZk3XjnRrp5_MG0jVBPJunGxIov9BhcRa6SbBX778qyvtPVmgGmPABR0aeqc1lLBYpNG6DD-6Zd8IpCM3krHJ3X5c/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Gulf of Mexico on the Florida Panhandle.</i></div><br />I ran into an old friend today while shopping at Martin's in Staunton ... a homeschool mom who joined our local homeschool organization while I was in leadership. It was good to see her and brought back memories of the years I educated my children at home.<br /><br />We got caught up in that quick in-a-nutshell way that you do when running into someone you haven't seen in a while in a public place like the grocery store, and then she said something that kind of stopped me in my tracks.<br /><br />"I read your blog."<br /><br /><i>"Really?"</i> I was flattered.<br /><br />I thanked her, and laughed about how I write about politics but then escape to the mountains or the back roads to take photos and enjoy the Shenandoah Valley. She smiled and nodded and said, "Your pictures of the beach...."<br /><br />"Ah, the Gulf of Mexico," I said nodding my head. "I had not been there in years but the water was just as blue as I remembered."<br /><br />She noted that it was beautiful and she had really enjoyed the pictures and it made her want to go to the beach. Yes, I told her, I had heard that from others, too.<br /><br />The photos are my window on the world that I enjoy sharing with others, the neat nooks and crannies of the places where I ramble and make discoveries and spend time taking in the beauty of wherever I am. It has always been amazing that people write to say how much they enjoy seeing them.<br /><br />It is equally amazing that a number of homeschool moms, some whom I've never met, read my blog. You would think they would have their hands full with required school reading so I consider it an honor that they take a few minutes out of their day to stop by SWAC Girl.<br /><br />A while back, one mom wrote that she especially enjoyed when I ended my posts with, "It's summer (spring/winter/fall) in the Shenandoah Valley...." Now when I type that line, I think of her.<br /><br />Our chance encounter today was once again a reminder that friends are priceless. And knowing that there are those who enjoy my blog is an honor.  <br /><br />And, Leslie -- great seeing you today! May the rest of your homeschool journey be especially gratifying and successful, and hopefully it won't be so long before we meet up again....<br /><br /><i>----- </i><br /><i>Lynn Mitchell educated her children at home for 16 years and was part  of leadership in North Carolina's Iredell County Home Educators (ICHE)  and Virginia's Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH). Her  son graduated from Harrisonburg's James Madison University (JMU) in  2007 with a BS in Computer Science and a minor in Creative  Writing. Her daughter graduated from Staunton's Mary Baldwin College in  2012 with a BS in Sustainable Business and Marketing. Lynn and her  husband live in Augusta County located in the beautiful Shenandoah  Valley of Virginia. The story of how she began her homeschool journey <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/01/back-in-homeschool-classroom-blazing.html">can be found here</a>.</i> <br /><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />Seacrest, Florida <br />May 2013

Florida Gulf of Mexico homeschooling Lynn R. Mitchell Seacrest Shenandoah Valley Back in the homeschool classroom: A chance encounter

The Gulf of Mexico on the Florida Panhandle. I ran into an old friend today while shopping at Martin's in Staunton ... a homeschool mom ...

Trixie at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia

2:35 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRLTKjnMURC9ItNZ1i2SxUNUBXei2J-F-SP6wc3vgWNQ2h8PseBP8NwZTfUG4PRrJ9TZvUIyxOyRHRmkCW1V9gBEHqoV3PlM0h9Lu9IBcixCcwe_9EdfljT6pLXEAA_Z5Lzlw7_4rqNqI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRLTKjnMURC9ItNZ1i2SxUNUBXei2J-F-SP6wc3vgWNQ2h8PseBP8NwZTfUG4PRrJ9TZvUIyxOyRHRmkCW1V9gBEHqoV3PlM0h9Lu9IBcixCcwe_9EdfljT6pLXEAA_Z5Lzlw7_4rqNqI/s640/1.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trixie Averill</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtR3EY_jYa4Y1umdSUmQn3pob4H3GMgbJXHNXtNoiX401okRG9XygfRr4G7Bk9lKuiXcJf5RXJQC2oUonWJ7kDa_ABV_Uy7yorcUQZsP1cZaxC_tCHu6j_XV8xoywWMW99yitNa90-PBDZ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtR3EY_jYa4Y1umdSUmQn3pob4H3GMgbJXHNXtNoiX401okRG9XygfRr4G7Bk9lKuiXcJf5RXJQC2oUonWJ7kDa_ABV_Uy7yorcUQZsP1cZaxC_tCHu6j_XV8xoywWMW99yitNa90-PBDZ/s400/2.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">German farm with Godfrey.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoyRfqUEA0hQP2ulbFmcWIozX5lRiHPmJXAajflGPk9scvRroNmaRwtJIWK4gxf8TGKt1D0iU12-vqPbw4OtREq1E3J98OkF9BokiFVR7Uo-Mb0uWwdeLbYqBlxMcTXoK6biYAk20XiBJ/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoyRfqUEA0hQP2ulbFmcWIozX5lRiHPmJXAajflGPk9scvRroNmaRwtJIWK4gxf8TGKt1D0iU12-vqPbw4OtREq1E3J98OkF9BokiFVR7Uo-Mb0uWwdeLbYqBlxMcTXoK6biYAk20XiBJ/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VCdCbGBtG5Ek-ga7eaoCbiYzFuuzzDypLvBb8vVqgE3qz_0Or9HNLttbJtxanJbQGpKp-e9Md_GKORNobt-e0hK-aGzifnFOKtoD4EygWmNCQ-Dsqn8bO8RPDUnA1dfBQY4L05u6xlow/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VCdCbGBtG5Ek-ga7eaoCbiYzFuuzzDypLvBb8vVqgE3qz_0Or9HNLttbJtxanJbQGpKp-e9Md_GKORNobt-e0hK-aGzifnFOKtoD4EygWmNCQ-Dsqn8bO8RPDUnA1dfBQY4L05u6xlow/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">An example of the first American log cabins.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTyr6WfJGCsO-BJtf5lktd3PGuxMHOpYrXxczRrf8wvDzy_ju6kSYl2gyIyIHBbdPlc80TfdAbyqaDJ-CsWDFmoPUvKr8Ew1u0F96hYyccd_GMThDenOCrZSYSgf5_IsQJrXu8X9pLqHx/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTyr6WfJGCsO-BJtf5lktd3PGuxMHOpYrXxczRrf8wvDzy_ju6kSYl2gyIyIHBbdPlc80TfdAbyqaDJ-CsWDFmoPUvKr8Ew1u0F96hYyccd_GMThDenOCrZSYSgf5_IsQJrXu8X9pLqHx/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGucFQAE0yx494_59KD_5I2k467WwMqWzglvZDHm1pM5UWFM7l0z79vzTy5usWvlfNnCl5WZqTFRKtyucjGbwFMz93NgZLMhIOfXnBG2vO-7RbYVicHfrFkRe84Wb9cqsvYzaIaz3hwin/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGucFQAE0yx494_59KD_5I2k467WwMqWzglvZDHm1pM5UWFM7l0z79vzTy5usWvlfNnCl5WZqTFRKtyucjGbwFMz93NgZLMhIOfXnBG2vO-7RbYVicHfrFkRe84Wb9cqsvYzaIaz3hwin/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trixie was reading the plaque below.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6UuCaPkS36JQdDhO-cld6OlcstHqC3kjna-TOrgSrJpmr7aIuiyDDwL4u5Wq8i98bloXh0tDbsQFqryx_k0gDSHKhi6jaZnhvPjIs11yA-oGGmCBoNcXG4DLaVLA1SzuWwTCODvTx6kK/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6UuCaPkS36JQdDhO-cld6OlcstHqC3kjna-TOrgSrJpmr7aIuiyDDwL4u5Wq8i98bloXh0tDbsQFqryx_k0gDSHKhi6jaZnhvPjIs11yA-oGGmCBoNcXG4DLaVLA1SzuWwTCODvTx6kK/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHpOJpb4e_5kcZOaLE6j07MboXGfW4UH9w1NhPEEjIZeP-FnrGILUztdAVsEN69a_hWajYdZ6RP5OqBQcw3IStNtXxTM1UuywPKSCNd86AHOSinAXuAlMjzGOhuV00widzKGzUf1MYM5h/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHpOJpb4e_5kcZOaLE6j07MboXGfW4UH9w1NhPEEjIZeP-FnrGILUztdAVsEN69a_hWajYdZ6RP5OqBQcw3IStNtXxTM1UuywPKSCNd86AHOSinAXuAlMjzGOhuV00widzKGzUf1MYM5h/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trixie Averill and I met up with longtime Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia volunteer Dick Spencer for an afternoon around the various farmsteads. Trixie, who is a gubernatorial appointment on the Virginia Tourism Board, was fascinated with all that is available to learn and do at this hands-on facility. Here she and Dick are at the American farmstead on Wednesday. More photos to come....</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />June 5, 2013

Trixie at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia

Dick Spencer Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia Lynn R. Mitchell Staunton tourism Trixie Averill Virginia Is For Lovers Trixie at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia

Trixie Averill German farm with Godfrey. An example of the first American log cabins. Trixie was reading the plaque below. Trixie Averill an...

Garden flowers

6:57 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsq-MRz9j2wc4PdV6kPqwdkRwNxCfpocpAdg6NqC5z6JBCdpxF6x1_fpj4Z7RKFuIouDDIvoRn9K4hH1jLDXYj-hNYZuKwjjtCsQonh_qjLuyvkbH5o3hznlZ43rv26M9BLAZA1izKOSz/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipsq-MRz9j2wc4PdV6kPqwdkRwNxCfpocpAdg6NqC5z6JBCdpxF6x1_fpj4Z7RKFuIouDDIvoRn9K4hH1jLDXYj-hNYZuKwjjtCsQonh_qjLuyvkbH5o3hznlZ43rv26M9BLAZA1izKOSz/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTJRRyp8ID1h5k9CJNYS5MaeYqwj679H-9fGj-RZpybmY9gXpog3BQA6_MImRoJgETEyFsjgkaBqhoc-7THOUknVV5V_6gSmdKPXHu2f2UUkt_Z_7kB9hJUVWD73LeQfBQePFoQ_cLZAK/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTJRRyp8ID1h5k9CJNYS5MaeYqwj679H-9fGj-RZpybmY9gXpog3BQA6_MImRoJgETEyFsjgkaBqhoc-7THOUknVV5V_6gSmdKPXHu2f2UUkt_Z_7kB9hJUVWD73LeQfBQePFoQ_cLZAK/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pNhDnybW4QtjH7JPA1ZPihgFLsKGGpaRKWu5DyZb9hb03iz_sMLfA_48zgdV-uVXoe0zKopiPuU91u4uKhIpaiIhd9ZRvArqNk2CkxRRbMx9Pp_QSWdexb06RROoyXVqR7XAKIZwu8o0/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pNhDnybW4QtjH7JPA1ZPihgFLsKGGpaRKWu5DyZb9hb03iz_sMLfA_48zgdV-uVXoe0zKopiPuU91u4uKhIpaiIhd9ZRvArqNk2CkxRRbMx9Pp_QSWdexb06RROoyXVqR7XAKIZwu8o0/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WGsHtBKqzO14WYczVomrSxy1aVP7aDFVFwxh5ZxrFrhZBuOH82Qc-hyD-ysozIudh-qpi08Mkx7OfC_SQuhum_XQXDMT9Wdgg0GHH8SXP_LRme3bpruyRLwgQnDZgrYLZxJnGLK69DA_/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WGsHtBKqzO14WYczVomrSxy1aVP7aDFVFwxh5ZxrFrhZBuOH82Qc-hyD-ysozIudh-qpi08Mkx7OfC_SQuhum_XQXDMT9Wdgg0GHH8SXP_LRme3bpruyRLwgQnDZgrYLZxJnGLK69DA_/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />June 5, 2013

Augusta County garden Lynn R. Mitchell Shenandoah Valley summer flowers Virginia Garden flowers

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell June 5, 2013

Tranquility

6:50 AM Tukiyooo 0

Appalachian Mountains Augusta County Lynn R. Mitchell red hot pokers summer flowers tranquility Virginia Tranquility

Summer flowers are blooming at my house including these red hot pokers looking out over the Appalachian Mountains. Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell...

Up close & personal: Blue Ridge Parkway's Linn Cove Viaduct

5:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo9I1VAH2-tuoo6Diz51FJIcsug8ik_VvqvNYTbDxFrkT5AVAKEojvt6E-oItnugag5fM9Yc-Q_fRgYmu39meBtrf_XZ0ls_RqCwbDYwu0aCTdesR1bahWgVZjo631IlelVli595PGj0s/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo9I1VAH2-tuoo6Diz51FJIcsug8ik_VvqvNYTbDxFrkT5AVAKEojvt6E-oItnugag5fM9Yc-Q_fRgYmu39meBtrf_XZ0ls_RqCwbDYwu0aCTdesR1bahWgVZjo631IlelVli595PGj0s/s400/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We lived 12 years in Iredell County, NC, about an hour north of Charlotte where SWAC Husband worked before we transferred back to Virginia. During those years, we spent a lot of time in the Blue Ridge Mountains, most often around Blowing Rock and Boone. While living in that area, the viaduct was finally constructed at Milepost 304 around Grandfather Mountain south of Blowing Rock, an engineering marvel engineered to fill in the missing link of the Blue Ridge Parkway.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xxIv8_iV3QzeRro6ToF8eHdV_3ZpygHW1nUPdgbcsveNdupqAjXkxkoaoZqqs4l1gZI8017Nssa5-3dkm92AxNH8jZZhuNTcoS_LIcFecT7iwpvckDHWopjC6Wgk6G7XsyTdDCC8dtJX/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xxIv8_iV3QzeRro6ToF8eHdV_3ZpygHW1nUPdgbcsveNdupqAjXkxkoaoZqqs4l1gZI8017Nssa5-3dkm92AxNH8jZZhuNTcoS_LIcFecT7iwpvckDHWopjC6Wgk6G7XsyTdDCC8dtJX/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">In May, as we traveled back from a week on Florida's Panhandle spent with family, we meandered the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Fancy Gap. Along the way, we stopped at the Linn Cove Visitor Center and walked the trail that goes under the viaduct to get a closer look.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBoMR-KO_tMYqpEalPp5fJxz-AvBHV2A5UHo02va_ArKqFtZkGJLZygxl44fYP_D5EgVnqTD395aZygpGK2HqP40u_RuXsKKf9AbV3FZnOajIaAXV0lwhCTOAzzcQ8vW7fSbcOpuD8hug/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBoMR-KO_tMYqpEalPp5fJxz-AvBHV2A5UHo02va_ArKqFtZkGJLZygxl44fYP_D5EgVnqTD395aZygpGK2HqP40u_RuXsKKf9AbV3FZnOajIaAXV0lwhCTOAzzcQ8vW7fSbcOpuD8hug/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It took eight years, completed in 1987, and cost $10 million to construct this cement segmental bridge that was used to protect the fragile alpine environment on Grandfather Mountain. Walking beneath the structure offered the opportunity to observe how man and nature came up with a compromise in this national park area.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-0AFl-m9Vl2MlyvLMEZUTB8IyRnkaotrxlLa3jCs2kcqKelMtaKINdOh9yxDjKCsGNHP5KxMsDBHs6RRYzbXO9DhMANEM1iRmNZUDBixZPwEqNp6WZIx40QlIndVEiiBgEVLTUREu-vk/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-0AFl-m9Vl2MlyvLMEZUTB8IyRnkaotrxlLa3jCs2kcqKelMtaKINdOh9yxDjKCsGNHP5KxMsDBHs6RRYzbXO9DhMANEM1iRmNZUDBixZPwEqNp6WZIx40QlIndVEiiBgEVLTUREu-vk/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linn_Cove_Viaduct">Wikipedia</a>: "<b>Linn Cove Viaduct</b> is a 1,243-foot (379 m) concrete <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmental_bridge" title="Segmental bridge">segmental bridge</a> which snakes around the slopes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_Mountain" title="Grandfather Mountain">Grandfather Mountain</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina" title="North Carolina">North Carolina</a>. It was completed in 1987 at a cost of $10 million and was the last section of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Parkway" title="Blue Ridge Parkway">Blue Ridge Parkway</a> to be finished.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-w-s_1-1"></sup><br /><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-w-s_1-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linn_Cove_Viaduct#cite_note-w-s-1"><span></span><span></span></a></sup><br /> <div style="text-align: center;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viaduct" title="Viaduct">viaduct</a> was needed because of the damage that a traditional cut-and-fill road  would have caused to Grandfather Mountain. The viaduct was designed by  Figg and Muller Engineers, Inc. Construction began in 1979. It is 1,243  feet (379 m) long and consists of 153 segments weighing 50 tons each.  The bridge's segments were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precast_concrete" title="Precast concrete">precast</a> at an indoor facility at the south side of the parkway. After being  transported to the bridge site, each section was lowered into place by a  custom crane placed on either edge of the existing structure. The only  work done at ground level was drilling for the seven footings which  support the viaduct. In particular, there was no access road other than  the Blue Ridge Parkway itself. The bridge has received eleven design  awards."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq_E5BU00qqLCRLBCEHc2SRAa5mKNK0lxA6m-JOSloICBmmjYhQYetNipsjYBSJSmZW9ORAqiaiXilbJtwQj47lJLp_-lFqtu4JBDIXASzrk22akXsCwGoyPwPfzPIugHJ9NmDBCcfXj5/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq_E5BU00qqLCRLBCEHc2SRAa5mKNK0lxA6m-JOSloICBmmjYhQYetNipsjYBSJSmZW9ORAqiaiXilbJtwQj47lJLp_-lFqtu4JBDIXASzrk22akXsCwGoyPwPfzPIugHJ9NmDBCcfXj5/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I took multiple photos from various angles as we walked the trail.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Zi0fUea4_HbQT6qQRuE2rV1mYppzVjWBj3Jat3izHoG6NCOFgl-C22uz2gA0Q25pgzVMtoCNcOAjden4Hw2_BkwP9aUltS4AlcpUXafO0XYEflLc1IICNG8Q9WQmkDse3PGMiQjeDuAS/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Zi0fUea4_HbQT6qQRuE2rV1mYppzVjWBj3Jat3izHoG6NCOFgl-C22uz2gA0Q25pgzVMtoCNcOAjden4Hw2_BkwP9aUltS4AlcpUXafO0XYEflLc1IICNG8Q9WQmkDse3PGMiQjeDuAS/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sFi933IjZdHEVWuPOo-BBR17dFqZNDS5y56NZEDmQO4wFg6YkR7AKCeyKKnCWzcoSdUHCkm04ccjRYHYiz6Ad-Y70HJoYtaCc2K3dZ0ppLpCQMxChLrSOPBbPe1MaBCpDvlSXlj0_nsv/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sFi933IjZdHEVWuPOo-BBR17dFqZNDS5y56NZEDmQO4wFg6YkR7AKCeyKKnCWzcoSdUHCkm04ccjRYHYiz6Ad-Y70HJoYtaCc2K3dZ0ppLpCQMxChLrSOPBbPe1MaBCpDvlSXlj0_nsv/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the view from the Parkway at the beginning of the viaduct on the south end.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2lr5jGRa5I_yWxbmecJEmJRmonwc2JP3EhxVaG5nciET51Ep9nOo1mzFQkw6qMhrJjLCgzh_PVNMFG8-zZVDQ35cuRm_cHPnlpc1zl9ANJ8HUpyCm_aIqxdEi9-52bDB7SYmzM3VuGTH/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2lr5jGRa5I_yWxbmecJEmJRmonwc2JP3EhxVaG5nciET51Ep9nOo1mzFQkw6qMhrJjLCgzh_PVNMFG8-zZVDQ35cuRm_cHPnlpc1zl9ANJ8HUpyCm_aIqxdEi9-52bDB7SYmzM3VuGTH/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Driving on it ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqmx-xjXU_0UxlEIKJTxpTK0wkdU8w7fgB2gjDI4bwfuVgbuYIEhpIBwKthcxw17UPX0ysZgXSw7YUte7phMQJ1UcEpDnaQ0oRS3vCwwPizGjHOJYOhIQH9B8RtGxozkMayhFpkJYzSqK/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqmx-xjXU_0UxlEIKJTxpTK0wkdU8w7fgB2gjDI4bwfuVgbuYIEhpIBwKthcxw17UPX0ysZgXSw7YUte7phMQJ1UcEpDnaQ0oRS3vCwwPizGjHOJYOhIQH9B8RtGxozkMayhFpkJYzSqK/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">... with Grandfather's slopes on the left ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6YjV1C1WllJmcQicd7WriEnlCnjaR3Vs0fw-hNRQMyzdUDyqagVw91rhhhZkftkv5P0DFXv1ptEwCkuF2DsHDZAcHha1dRt1VkkIUjdSOfx3dOIRdxTlwClqAJsewR1o9NRgPP28QjjH/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6YjV1C1WllJmcQicd7WriEnlCnjaR3Vs0fw-hNRQMyzdUDyqagVw91rhhhZkftkv5P0DFXv1ptEwCkuF2DsHDZAcHha1dRt1VkkIUjdSOfx3dOIRdxTlwClqAJsewR1o9NRgPP28QjjH/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">... and then looking back.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJ6cgNA_pplIUzSAO324UDBmhfmyadz2_fiuNwDTrg60B9jB21Oz11a3090YPRX855hfQi5iHFDoKg1O0UygkWWcV0Tn04FF7eOzS-fVaVE9GNRWVqoV_TDVvrOZ2obn9CaZdGYuWVfPo/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJ6cgNA_pplIUzSAO324UDBmhfmyadz2_fiuNwDTrg60B9jB21Oz11a3090YPRX855hfQi5iHFDoKg1O0UygkWWcV0Tn04FF7eOzS-fVaVE9GNRWVqoV_TDVvrOZ2obn9CaZdGYuWVfPo/s400/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5_6prTxY73AJJr1SkC9hm8GPHMbVSyDfPh7wOwsxXV4QnBMS2k5MRMOIVzcCC8SbwUc4QduHDgEdGc6qVD5tmmOtrSwKX-vBgGHxNFp9eIc6ZY3Xc_2gnIplY_MYNDnGh0IkAITsf6kJ/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5_6prTxY73AJJr1SkC9hm8GPHMbVSyDfPh7wOwsxXV4QnBMS2k5MRMOIVzcCC8SbwUc4QduHDgEdGc6qVD5tmmOtrSwKX-vBgGHxNFp9eIc6ZY3Xc_2gnIplY_MYNDnGh0IkAITsf6kJ/s400/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8QCxZj2RD7U9khGESNLwfXq2VIsi_Uj5_DuV0bc8cv6fWhG1EQAV7hFc5x0eht8uBQbgKUzrQ3_vgZ1TFca16qiEVDNNG24PiqEyqgyCgeXC4GEWTY2_vlBdphZkgLJ_twp0UouRazYB/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8QCxZj2RD7U9khGESNLwfXq2VIsi_Uj5_DuV0bc8cv6fWhG1EQAV7hFc5x0eht8uBQbgKUzrQ3_vgZ1TFca16qiEVDNNG24PiqEyqgyCgeXC4GEWTY2_vlBdphZkgLJ_twp0UouRazYB/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The view from the viaduct.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJKnH_-E0kK_tnNC_KvZkNvCcejqzoct8WX8sFz06u7plZR-st3nBG9tEQZm13qwPi1Pb3cP66MvYorvKaZ6ukvb_3FjuLGrzqgG_MPxJguOOepV6gRKjUIJINrF-zCtCg94QVwSPWc8E/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJKnH_-E0kK_tnNC_KvZkNvCcejqzoct8WX8sFz06u7plZR-st3nBG9tEQZm13qwPi1Pb3cP66MvYorvKaZ6ukvb_3FjuLGrzqgG_MPxJguOOepV6gRKjUIJINrF-zCtCg94QVwSPWc8E/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfdqhmZbZl7tcP-MpNgrp9i-2ruHTQnpLdKqYfUIvmKEEUr9xm7nB_TZ1kFs5nKzf0E3ZkpHCnrscX_9g02WIp5MMCILl-Zg-TW4GjgiOAzFjwafm5CnxZY0li8IZcjYDZt-qnfH0m8c1/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfdqhmZbZl7tcP-MpNgrp9i-2ruHTQnpLdKqYfUIvmKEEUr9xm7nB_TZ1kFs5nKzf0E3ZkpHCnrscX_9g02WIp5MMCILl-Zg-TW4GjgiOAzFjwafm5CnxZY0li8IZcjYDZt-qnfH0m8c1/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This view is of the viaduct from the Visitor Center at the south end. The trees show the stark difference of Grandfather's slopes at the alpine level. We saw this view at the beginning of the trail at the edge of the parking lot ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdVZthIoxG2mp7x-_J4jC6eADmE85mitsFv-RwGThSG1_LSCdGfyZjz48pRmX8ijUGqUfMsM08kwrN1QcC0_choIJYpTnicB66Bt-AeBIqCBeecDTYgTK6Y-Tgdl8ZiFZ8SM-VmO82snn/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdVZthIoxG2mp7x-_J4jC6eADmE85mitsFv-RwGThSG1_LSCdGfyZjz48pRmX8ijUGqUfMsM08kwrN1QcC0_choIJYpTnicB66Bt-AeBIqCBeecDTYgTK6Y-Tgdl8ZiFZ8SM-VmO82snn/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">... and then we saw this view as we approached the viaduct from the trail. Seeing it from beneath was an entirely different experience as we studied the pillars and molded cement sections that barely disturbed the surrounding area.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPi7RrTpKsi4Q4pvIfDJRxnZA9sjkXf6qh9EiLAQ5zf1r0MUP7GfuZSvK3vJ-tFeOBJYu8k_ROVX0VbWT3twKijzVMz1vqYH-FFNoYtFg7F5WnGBudqPjhswvP-YIxFMhmq1QmHfJDoGg/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPi7RrTpKsi4Q4pvIfDJRxnZA9sjkXf6qh9EiLAQ5zf1r0MUP7GfuZSvK3vJ-tFeOBJYu8k_ROVX0VbWT3twKijzVMz1vqYH-FFNoYtFg7F5WnGBudqPjhswvP-YIxFMhmq1QmHfJDoGg/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not to mention it was a good leg-stretcher in-between thunderstorms on a rainy day.</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />May 2013

Up close & personal: Blue Ridge Parkway's Linn Cove Viaduct

Blowing Rock Blue Ridge Mountains Blue Ridge Parkway Boone Grandfather Mountain Iredell County Linn Cove Viaduct Lynn R. Mitchell National Park Service North Carolina Wikipedia Up close & personal: Blue Ridge Parkway's Linn Cove Viaduct

We lived 12 years in Iredell County, NC, about an hour north of Charlotte where SWAC Husband worked before we transferred back to Virginia. ...

McDonnell's years of work lead to voting rights restoration ... Cuccinelli jumps on board

8:21 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6k_mb12nXU-bSUyM840DbivBHAd9TVcdf72XwtjUrqjr9Fy822sdPe-D1qyBawjcmgrnhhtZwGBHFPCSaRTaMwNksvy_EylsEmcqKEzGG93nG4nghZSx3uKZ65vZIKv5YNhnqVLj6JioI/s1600/Bob+McDonnell+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6k_mb12nXU-bSUyM840DbivBHAd9TVcdf72XwtjUrqjr9Fy822sdPe-D1qyBawjcmgrnhhtZwGBHFPCSaRTaMwNksvy_EylsEmcqKEzGG93nG4nghZSx3uKZ65vZIKv5YNhnqVLj6JioI/s320/Bob+McDonnell+6.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell</i></div><br />Since 2010, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has restored the voting rights of  4,843 nonviolent felons, a campaign goal the Republican leader has pursued for years.<br /><br />Effective July 15, he will automatically restore those rights to nonviolent felons on an individual basis, writes reporter Olympia Meola at the <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_08d1b42c-c80c-11e2-8950-0019bb30f31a.html"><i>Richmond Times-Dispatch</i></a>:<br /><blockquote>Gov. Bob McDonnell today will announce that he is automatically  restoring the voting rights of nonviolent felons on an individual basis.<br /><br />The sweeping administrative action -- while not an instantaneous  blanket restoration -- is as far as the governor can go within current  Virginia law, administration officials said.<br />...<br />Janet Kelly, Secretary of the Commonwealth, added, "We are on the as-soon-as-possible timeline." </blockquote>Wednesday's announcement is just the latest installment on an issue McDonnell has been working on since the beginning of his administration.<br /><br />Reporter Meola explained the process:<br /><blockquote>McDonnell's change applies only to nonviolent felons. Under current  procedures, there is a two-year waiting period before a nonviolent felon  can apply for restoration of rights. Under the current process, the  governor does not have to approve any particular application.<br /><br />McDonnell is removing the waiting period and the  subjectivity. Once the administration verifies that a nonviolent felon  has completed his sentence and probation or parole, and paid all fines  and restitution, the governor will send the person a letter restoring  his rights, provided the individual has no pending felony or misdemeanor  charges.</blockquote>Staff members have said that former prosecutor McDonnell believes  in punishment but he also believes in redemption and opportunity. <br /><br />"Virginia is one of only four states to permanently take away the right to vote from citizens with felony convictions," write <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/columnists-blogs/guest-columnists/article_c18839be-533d-59b2-b534-1141836873f8.html">Darrell K. White and Mark Croston</a> at the<i> Times-Dispatch</i>.<br /><br />White, president of the Baptist General Convention, and Croston, president of the Virginia Baptist State Convention, noted that "restoring voting rights sends the message that citizens who want a second chance are welcome as full members of our communities," and added:<br /><blockquote>Gov. Bob McDonnell understands this. A man of deep Christian faith  himself, he has repeatedly called on the General Assembly to pass a  constitutional amendment to automatically restore rights to people with  nonviolent felony convictions upon completion of their sentences. “Once  individuals have served their time, and paid their fines, restitution  and other costs, they should have the opportunity to rejoin society as  fully contributing members,” McDonnell said in a January statement. “As a  nation that believes in redemption, we want more productive citizens  and fewer people returning to prison.”<br />...<br />Unfortunately, the governor’s pleas to the legislature have gone  unheeded. The General Assembly has refused to pass several proposals for  automatic voting rights restoration, leaving no further legislative  options. But there is another way. While Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli  recently announced his view that McDonnell does not have the  constitutional authority to issue an executive order to automatically  restore civil rights for citizens with felony convictions after they  have completed their sentences, we disagree with that analysis. The  Virginia Constitution makes it clear that the governor has the exclusive  power to do so, making a difference for hundreds of thousands of  citizens who have paid their debts to society. </blockquote>Perhaps in a bit of "me, too" campaign enthusiasm, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli jumped the Governor's planned announcement with one of his own on Tuesday. <a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2013/05/cuccinelli-has-change-heart-felons-voting-rights"><i>Virginian-Pilot</i></a> reporter Julian Walker took a look at Cuccinelli's change of heart<a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2013/05/cuccinelli-has-change-heart-felons-voting-rights"><i></i></a>:<br /><blockquote>Time and again during his state Senate service, Ken Cuccinelli opposed  attempts to change Virginia’s Constitution so certain nonviolent felons  automatically regain their voting rights.<br /><br />Now, the attorney general and Republican gubernatorial candidate has positioned himself at the vanguard of efforts to improve the state’s rights-restoration process, saying he has had a change of heart.</blockquote>Governor McDonnell has public opinion on his side as well as the Baptist Assembly, the Catholic Conference of Virginia, the United Methodist Church, and the Presbyterian Church USA, proving once again to be a leader who is willing to fight for the issues that are important for Virginians.

McDonnell's years of work lead to voting rights restoration ... Cuccinelli jumps on board

Bob McDonnell Janet Kelly Julian Walker Ken Cuccinelli Lynn R. Mitchell nonviolent felons Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginian-Pilot McDonnell's years of work lead to voting rights restoration ... Cuccinelli jumps on board

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell Since 2010, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has restored the voting rights of 4,843 nonviolent felons, a campai...

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